Virgin Experience Economy Meal Service

An easy journey from start to finish:p- We bring you Virgin Atlantic Economy Meal Service Just as it is on the Virgin Website.

Economy meal service

If you're travelling with us in Economy we want you to be excited by what you see when it comes to food and drink.

We've worked really hard to give you something that feels much more like what you’d experience on the ground. You'll find a balance of light, healthy dishes with lots and lots of flavour, along with loads of considered surprises that we hope you'll love.

Taste the difference

In Economy we focus on offering you good quality food, done consistently well. We like to work with simple, seasonal ingredients presented elegantly. And of course, served with the warmth and flair we're famous for.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE

 
'Due to some essential maintenance work that we need to do, you'll be unable to assign seats between 04:30 and 07:00 BST on Wednesday 1 June 2016. We're sorry for any inconvenience this causes'.

Iberostar to open first US properties

Spanish hotel group Iberostar is to open its first US properties this year. A 250-room New York hotel is set to be rebranded on June 15, and is located at 70 Park Avenue within “an iconic stone and red brick building dating back to 1928”.

Jet Airways to take back B777s from Etihad

Jet Airways is take back six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from investor and codeshare partner Etihad Airways.

The aircraft had been wet leased to Etihad, which owns a 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways. 

Jet Airways' chief financial officer and acting CEO Amit Agarwal said:

 

"Our wide body (Boeing 777) aircraft currently on lease to partner airline Etihad will be taken back and operationalised from August.

"Based on the market condition, our plan is to upgrade some of the existing A330 routes with B777s. This will subsequently result in additional capacity in our core markets, India and Gulf.” 

Etihad opens first class lounge at Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airways has opened a new first class lounge at Abu Dhabi airport’s Terminal 3.

According to Etihad the space has been “Inspired by the world’s most prestigious hotels, private members’ clubs and fine dining establishments”.

The 1,700 sqm lounge incorporates Etihad’s ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ branding and has 16 zones, with features including:

• An a la carte restaurant with a choice of Arabic, Indian and western cuisine made to order at any time of the day, as well as a five-course Emirati tasting menu
• A sculptural showpiece bar (similar to that at the new carrier’s new lounge in Melbourne), with 75 spirits, champagne and aperitifs

Visa Free Countries For Holders Of Nigerian Passports

As a Nigerian citizen with a Nigerian passport, there are certain countries which do not require a visa or a visa-lottery upon entry so long as you have your Nigerian passport.

However, for some of these countries, there is an estimated amount of time you are expected to spend before a visa will be demanded for. 

The period of days for which you can stay varies from country to country and then you would have to obtain a visa, at least this is not like a gamble when you play the visa- lottery.

Emirates marks Children’s Day with new promo

In the spirit of the forthcoming Children’s Day celebration, Emirates Airline is set to roll out a raft of fun activities for children at the Ikeja City Mall in Lagos.

At the event slated to take place on May 27th and 28th from 12 Noon till 7pm on both days; the City Mall will be graced with an Emirates stand designed for children.

6 carriers approved for 2016 Hajj

The Federal Government has approved six air carriers to airlift intending pilgrims for the 2016 hajj operation.

The statement was issued by Alhaji Uba Mana, Head of Media of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Tuesday.

The listed carriers are Med-view Airlines Limited, Max Air Limited, Dornier Aviation Nigeria AEP Limited, Top Brass, AZMAN Air Services and Fly-Nas Air (Saudi Arabia designated carrier).

 

Industrial court restrains Nigeria Labor Congress from going on strike tommorrow

The National Industrial Court has granted an interim order restraining the Nigeria Labor Congress and all its allies from embarking on any strike action. The Federal government this morning approached the court asking the court to stop the proposed strike action by NLC.

 NLC had given the federal government till midnight today May 17th to revert to the old pump price or face total strike action slated for tomorrow Wednesday May 18th.

Air travel 'poses no risk to pregnant women – Doctors

Air travel poses ‘no significant risk’ for pregnant women and their unborn babies – even up to three weeks before the birth, doctors say.

Healthy mothers-to-be having pregnancies without complications should be able to fly until the 37th week, their latest advice reveals.

The most serious risk for women at 35,000ft is premature labour, say experts from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Advice: Healthy mothers-to-be having pregnancies without complications should be able to fly until the 37th week

 

Which is better & what's the difference: nonstop or direct flights?

One of the questions we get asked a lot is about the difference between nonstop flights and direct flights, and how they differ from connecting flights.

As it turns out, the differences are important — and could save you hours on your next journey.

Since these are technical terms used by airlines, nonstop, direct and connecting flights have specific characteristics.

Nonstop flights are flights that literally do not stop between your origin and destination airports, while direct flights stop at another airport, but continue on with the same flight number. Connecting flights are where you change plane and flight number at that other airport.

A good example of the difference is Qantas’ flights to Dallas/Fort Worth.QF7 from Sydney to Dallas is a nonstop flight: you take off from Sydney and land in Dallas. QF8 from Dallas to Sydney is direct, but via Brisbane: you take off from Dallas and land in Brisbane to refuel, then reboard the same plane to Sydney.

A connecting flight would be continuing on from Brisbane to Melbourne on a separate Qantas flight number, on a different plane.

Healthy Beijing: A wellness guide to the city

By Lucrezia Seu for CNN

Despite legendary pollution, Beijing offers access to nature, healthy restaurants and eco-friendly retreats.

Beijing has historic attractions, a vibrant culture and, of course, delicious Chinese food. But with its notorious pollution and regular food scandals, it’s not a city one equates with health and wellness. But maintaining a healthy lifestyle while visiting Beijing isn’t as challenging as you might think.

Here’s an insider list of nature-friendly spots, wholesome restaurants, organic stores and green escapes in and around Beijing.

Where to go

Zhaomiao (Luminous) Temple in the Fragrant

Hills.Xiangshan

With a name that translates to “Fragrant Hills,” this imperial garden is named after the scent wafting off its “Incense Burning Peak.” It’s not just incense scenting the park. There’s the perfume of the pine-cypress forest, maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees, all of which can be taken in on a hike in the hills. Visitors can also rent a bike to cycle the 20 kilometers up the hill.

Xiangshan is a popular spot for photos, especially in autumn when trees and leaves burn bright with golden and red hues.

To throw some culture into the mix there’s Shuangqing Villa, once the residence of Mao Zedong, and the Temple of Azure Clouds, located just outside the north gate of Fragrant Hills Park.

Xiangshan, 40 Maimai Jie, West Mountain, Haidian District, Beijing; April 1-June 30, 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; July 1-August 31, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; September 1-March 31, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; +86 (10) 6259 1155.

10 packing tips every traveler should know

Packing is pivotal. Forget an essential item and you're left disappointed and scrambling to find the nearest store in your destination. Pack too much and you end up disorganized, burdened with heavy bags, and hemorrhaging money to pay for pricey airline baggage fees. So we thought it best to revisit the most basic—and most useful—packing rules. Here are 10 fundamental packing strategies that every traveler should learn.

10 signs you're a terrible traveler

You know the guy who's always holding up the plane by trying to cram five bags, a jacket, and a pillow into the overhead compartment? Don't be that guy. Read on to discover 10 warning signs that you may be a terrible traveler.

You have an expired passport and you don't even know it

Some countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months after the completion of your trip just in order to enter. You may think you're in the clear if your passport expires in 2014, but if you've got a trip planned for November 2013, you'd better get it renewed before then. Always research entry requirements, including visas and vaccines, and be sure your passport is up-to-date. (If you find out the night before that your passport is expired, read this simple solution to a last-minute passport snafu to learn what you can do to save your trip.)

9 new rules all passengers should obey

I’ve been flying a lot lately, so I thought I’d vent a little. After witnessing all manners of bad behavior in the air in recent months, I’ve compiled some new guidelines for how I’d like my fellow passengers to act on my next flight.

New rule: Hey you in the aisle seat, don’t give me “that look” when I indicate that I need to get up from my window seat to use the lav (yeah, you, important business guy who drank two little bottles of cheap red wine on the 45-minute Orly to Heathrow flight last week). I’m not doing this just for the fun of it. I don’t expect you to smile, but please, no big dramatic sigh and eye roll.

Unaccompanied Minor Travel Tips: How to Prepare Your Child for Air Travel Alone

We’ve all noticed the kids with an unaccompanied minor badge escorted by the flight attendants on our flights. Peak travel times for unaccompanied minors are major holidays, three day weekends, and summer. Parents are encountering more situations requiring children to travel alone. Most frequently, children fly alone to comply with divorce custody agreements. Whether the unaccompanied minor is visiting a non-custodial parent, or simply a relative in another state, here are tips to make a smooth travel experience for your child.

If possible, fly the child with a parent or other close adult the first time. Children like to know what to expect; unaccompanied minors in busy airports need to know what to expect. Break down the unaccompanied minor flying process into major sections: checking in, security, waiting to board the airplane, take off, landing. Point out emergency personnel unaccompanied minor children can seek help from if they encounter a problem.

Duty-free Shopping Issues Involving Liquids, Gels, and Aerosols

If you are traveling internationally, and you wish to make a duty-free purchase of liquor, perfume, cosmetics, or any other item that may contain liquids, gels, or aerosols, you should take extra precautions to ensure that your items will not be confiscated by security in the US or elsewhere. These suggestions apply only to those items in containers that are larger than 100ml (3.4 fluid ounces) because only larger containers are subject to many of the common restrictions on liquids and gels. Categories of duty-free items that fall under these restrictions include the following:

• Liquor
• Wine
• Perfume and body sprays
• Facial cleansers and creams
• Body or hand lotions
• Liquid make-up

33 Ways to Sleep Better at a Hotel

Rattling ice machines. Grinding, dinging elevators. Bachelorette parties down the hall. The sleep gods have their work cut out for them if you’re expecting to snooze well while staying at a hotel.

We’ve compiled one of the most comprehensive guides available to ensuring a good night’s sleep in a hotel, covering everything from what you should ask when you’re booking the room to how you can swiftly take care of noisemakers so you can get back to sleep.

When Making Your Reservation
1 – 7. Ensure that you get a quiet room. Two requests are absolutely vital and pretty widely known when selecting your hotel room: a room on an upper floor and away from the elevators. But some other tried-and-true tips from frequent hotel guests could doubly ensure a peaceful experience.